prillalar | More HP book thoughts

More HP book thoughts

More bits and pieces from my PS and CoS and now PoA re-reads. I wrote most of this last week but then forgot to post it. *g*

* In the end of PS, Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort can't understand the love Harry's mother had for him. Oh, Tom! I thought, or possibly said out loud, you poor orphan boy! Then I sniffled into my eggs and b.

* In CoS, when Harry and Ron are caught by Snape after arriving late, he asks them where the car is. Harry has a bit of a freakout:

This wasn't the first time Snape had given Harry the impression of being able to read minds.

Christ! I thought, or again, possibly said out loud. Maybe he is reading their minds.

But then this:

But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.

Still, though. What with Snape (and Dumbledore) being so good at Legilimency, do you think he might be going around reading student's minds?

I didn't notice it when I was going through PS, but there's a similar bit there:

Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Philosopher's Stone? Harry didn't see how he could - yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.

You know, I don't give JKR enough credit. Kudos for the foreshadowing!

* In PS, there's a throwaway line about how Harry once turned his teacher's hair blue. Do you think the MoM sent someone out to turn it back? Or were they not paying attention? I assume they knew where he was, but maybe Dumbledore was keeping it secret.

* In CoS, poor little Colin Creevy is petrified somewhere around the middle of November. Colin, as you may recall, is Muggle-born. I began to think about what Christmas at the Creevy house must have been like that year. So sad! And I'm rather surprised that after all that, his parents let him come back to Hogwarts and also let his brother Dennis go too. (Not to mention Colin passes into second year, despite having missed most of first.) I've often wondered if the MoM applied pressure to Muggle parents who didn't want their children to become wizards. Justin's remarks in CoS indicate that he had to convince his parents to let him come, so maybe it's not too much like the PsiCorps. *g*

* In PoA, Remus is talking to Harry about Dementors. Harry tell him about hearing his mother whenever he sees one. Then: Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it. So, why the thinking better of it? That's what's weird to me. Is it that he feels close to Harry but doesn't want Harry to know about Remus's association with James, and thus Sirius?

And a special werewolf section:

* In DADA class in PS, the kids take notes on various ways to treat werewolf bites. I wonder what "treat" implies here.

* People are always going on about werewolves in the Forbidden Forest. That could imply general ignorance about werewolves (most likely) or that there are characteristics to werewolves that we don't know.

* bethbethbeth already talked about the "immensely complex Homorphus charm" Lockhart claims to have used to turn a werewolf into a man. It's not clear if the change is purportedly permanent.

* In CoS, Riddle says:

On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student ... on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls

This "werewolf cubs" thing -- hyperbole? Even if the general public is ignorant about werewolves, I can't imagine Tom Riddle is.

* And, damn, I wish I could read Hermione's werewolf essay.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

tary prachet wrot aboot werwolfs he saggested ter is a compliting fenomenn to verwolfs det inclod a wolf tht terd into a men evry monthe :)

I like to think of werewolves coming from opposite directions. Werewolves that are mostly wolves, but occasionally become other. I also like to think that there are maybe different types of werewolves- hereditary, genetic (not necessarily the same thing), acquired, cursed...

Children who aren't raised by humans don't grow up to be humans- http://www.feralchildren.com/en/pager.php?df=irrationality

So the wolf-cubs are born cublike, it would make sense for them to behave like wolves, or at least, cubs.

also, I like the idea of Hagrid playing with the little cubs and, at fullfoom, teaching them to walk on two legs.

In PoA, Remus is talking to Harry about Dementors. Harry tell him about hearing his mother whenever he sees one. Then: Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it. So, why the thinking better of it? That's what's weird to me. Is it that he feels close to Harry but doesn't want Harry to know about Remus's association with James, and thus Sirius?

I think this is definitely a valid interpretation. It's not until he wants to get through to Harry, re: the sacrifice his parents made and how he's treating that sacrifice by sneaking out with the Marauder's Map, that Remus tells Harry he was friends with James (and by extension Sirius), and even then he's very abrupt about that information. But I do think there's something to be said for Remus just being the kind of man he is, who plays things close to the chest. I don't think the move to touch Harry was necessarily meant to comfort, more like a sudden moment of surprised grief on Remus' part. (That was probably the last thing he expected to hear, and I imagine it hurt before he could reel it back in; he's had a lot of experience reeling it back in.) In that case, given what Harry was going through, I very easily see Remus thinking better of it because he doesn't want to put his own burden on top of Harry's.

In DADA class in PS, the kids take notes on various ways to treat werewolf bites. I wonder what "treat" implies here.

::snerk:: Yeah, provided it's not "silver bullet," I imagine any "treatments" are about as effective as hiding under desks to avoid a radiation bomb.

I want to know what's up with Harry doing magic before he ever gets a wand and going to school. Obviously he can, so can all wizards? Why use wands? Would a wizard be able to learn to do magic without a wand?

I always thought there was a lot of arm-waving about the whole 'wand' thing - they act like you have to use one, but obviously Harry has worked magic without it.

I think there is fic, here. ;-) The unschooled, rebel wizard enclave where they live in a commune and do wandless magic and are hidden from everyone else.

* In PS, there's a throwaway line about how Harry once turned his teacher's hair blue. Do you think the MoM sent someone out to turn it back?

I'm thinking either someone from the Ministry or someone working for Dumbledore took care of it. OTOH, if Harry's location was secret from even the Ministry, it's possible that nothing was done about his accidental magic, in which case the teacher would've had to deal with it on her own, and with no memory charms to smooth things over it probably just made the Dursleys hate Harry all the more.

* In CoS, poor little Colin Creevy is petrified somewhere around the middle of November. Colin, as you may recall, is Muggle-born. I began to think about what Christmas at the Creevy house must have been like that year. So sad! And I'm rather surprised that after all that, his parents let him come back to Hogwarts and also let his brother Dennis go too.

I'm wondering just exactly how much the Muggle parents of the victims were told. My cynical brain is thinking of forged letters and persuasive teachers talking about extracurricular activities available over the holidays. Another, uglier, possibility is that either Dumbledore or the Ministry simply modified the memories of the Muggle parents so as not to have to deal with them at all.

* In DADA class in PS, the kids take notes on various ways to treat werewolf bites. I wonder what "treat" implies here.

Hmmm. I heard something about there being some sort of anti-viral cocktail that can be taken by a rape victim to reduce/eliminate the chances of contracting HIV. Perhaps there are potions, which, depending on the location/severity/age of bite can prevent the victim contracting the disease?

* bethbethbeth already talked about the "immensely complex Homorphus charm" Lockhart claims to have used to turn a werewolf into a man. It's not clear if the change is purportedly permanent.

I'm inclined to think that the Homorphus charm is a very popular wives tale (on par with a potion to make your penis big enough to 'satisfy her'). It's true that Lockhart stole the true stories and adventures from people who really lived them, but I suspect those true tales are liberally laced with pure bullshit.

From what I understand, when wizards work magic before they enter school, it's usually because of a strong reaction to something, mostly fear or anger. It isn't something they can control or call upon at will. Wands are used as a way to focus their magical energy so it can be directed towards a specific goal.

Justin's remarks in CoS indicate that he had to convince his parents to let him come, so maybe it's not too much like the PsiCorps. *

GAH! Don't say that! I already have this wary suspicion and growing dislike for the Ministry of Magic. Don't make me start wondering if they're like PsiCorps!

Though....on that note, what if it is? What if Justin only thought it was *he* that convinced his parents he should get to return?

What would the Bester of the MoM be like? Not hard to imagine - some sort of combination of Lucius Malfoy, Percy Weasley, and Cornelius Fudge (or maybe Bartemius Crouch, Sr.?)

Damnit, plot bunnies.

You know, it would be very unlike Rowling to have all that speculation about Snape's reading minds, make him a Legillimens, and then have him *not* be abusing the power to actually read his students' minds. It would explain quite a bit (though there are certainly gaps, either in how he chooses to do or how much he is able to glean, because for plot reasons he didn't pick up on the gillyweed in CoS [as one example]).

Certainly food for thought.

I really liked Pratchett's take on werewolves. More interesting than JKR's, I think.

There are lots of interesting werewolf traditions. Plus trying to keep straight between HP, Buffy, and Pratchett werewolves is tricky too! Here, I'm mostly trying to pin down the HP werewolf canon and the bit about the cubs is troublesome. But it does raise some good questions.

Also, I remember I knew this guy on a MUD back in the day who thought he was a werewolf IRL.

I like what you say about Remus -- that makes a lot of sense to me. Oh, the poor man! PoA always makes me sigh for him.

Yeah, provided it's not "silver bullet," I imagine any "treatments" are about as effective as hiding under desks to avoid a radiation bomb.

LOL!

Here's my own rather paranoid theory:

* Wizards can do magic with or without wands -- and without actual spells in some cases.

* Wands help wizards to focus their magic power more easily, so wand-ful magic is easier than wand-less.

* Wizards are not taught or encouraged in wandless magic because in this way, they come to rely on their wands.

* Thus, the wand becomes a system of identification and control. Track the wand, and you track the wizard. Take away the wand, and you take away the magic.

I would be most interested to see if it's the same all over the world.

There is a brilliant story by Ursula K. Leguin (collected in The Compass Rose and Buffalo Gals, though temporarily I can't remember the title) about a wolf who becomes a man at the dark of the moon.

Also, if werewolves are caused by an infectious agent, it's entirely possible that this agent can pass through the placental wall (especially if magic is involved) and a woman who is a werewolf because she was bitten, might have children who were born werewolves. Eek.

*nods*

I like this theory. Given that there are apparently only three schools of wizardry worldwide, and none of them in the Americas or in Australasia or in Asia, you have to wonder what happens to wizards born on any of those four continents...

Word.
Remember, the Weasleys weren't told about their child being taken into the chamber of secrets by the school - I believe the siblings wrote a letter?
And presumably the only reason the Malfoy's found out about Draco's injury was through him...

I was thinking about that! Or what would happen if you were pregnant and a werewolf and gave birth during the full moon? Or if you're the child of two werewolves?

We do know that there are others. From GoF, at the Quidditch World Cup:

"Who d'you reckon they are?" he said. "They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?"

"'Spect they go to some foreign school," said Ron. "I know there are others. Never met anyone who went to one, though. Bill had a penfriend at a school in Brazil ... this was years and years ago ... and he wanted to go on an exchange trip but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it. His penfriend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up."

I'm quite curious about what these other schools are like!

I'm wondering just exactly how much the Muggle parents of the victims were told. My cynical brain is thinking of forged letters and persuasive teachers talking about extracurricular activities available over the holidays. Another, uglier, possibility is that either Dumbledore or the Ministry simply modified the memories of the Muggle parents so as not to have to deal with them at all.

Oh, creepy! Massive cover-ups "for their own good". Do you think they zapped Colin, then, when he got unpetrified, so he couldn't spill the beans? It might be hard to keep that one secret.

GAH! Don't say that! I already have this wary suspicion and growing dislike for the Ministry of Magic. Don't make me start wondering if they're like PsiCorps!

Would comparing them to the Jedi instead be more or less creepy? *g* I'm sure I posted something at some point drawing parallels between the three.

Percy as Bester is SO not hard to believe. And rather compelling. After all, very few people actually think that they are doing evil. Percy could be so ruthless. Mmmmm.

They probably didn't have to zap Colin. If his being Petrified is treated as completely normal, Colin at 11 is young enough to go along because all the adults around him aren't treating it as any big deal.

And I think it's a definite possiblity that the Muggle parents minds are diddled with, both to get them to allow their kids to go to a school they can't visit even once, and to cover up any accidents. After all, Justin the Hufflepuff was down for *Eton*; what parent would allow a child to go to an unknown, unvisitable school with no reputation when that child is already set to attend the most presitigious school in the country?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

More HP book thoughts

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject